Two weeks after firing the team’s general manager, the Bears announced they’ve hired 36-year-old Ryan Poles. Poles is the first African American to hold the position in the franchise’s 101-year history. WBEZ sports contributor Cheryl Raye-Stout joins Reset to discuss what we know about Poles and what the Bears hope he’ll bring to the team.

Host: Sasha-Ann Simons

Producers: Andrea Guthmann

The stock market is taking a beating in January, concerning economists across the country. But how, if at all, does that affect the average person? What does this mean for someone with a 401(k) or 403(b) plan? What does it mean for an employee at a public company listed on the stock market? Reset demystifies the stock market data with a Washington Post business reporter.

Host: Sasha-Ann Simons

Producers: Meha Ahmad

Lincoln Park Zoo’s Urban Wildlife Institute and Chicago Animal Care and Control have partnered to protect animals while protecting us from them. The city’s Wildlife Management & Coexistence Plan serves as a model for other major cities across the country in pursuit of responsible, urban wildlife conservation. Reset checks in with the institute’s director for more on the plan.

Host: Sasha-Ann Simons

Producers: Christian Elliott

Reset digs into the study and discusses the implications for policies and programs in the U.S. with one of the co-authors of the report and a local researcher.

Host: Sasha-Ann Simons

Producers: Stephanie Kim

President Biden says a Russian invasion of Ukraine is imminent. Reset discusses what tensions between Russia and the U.S mean for Ukrainian-Americans in Illinois.

Host: Sasha-Ann Simons

Producers: Andrea Guthmann

A new petition calls for the city of Chicago to develop a sidewalk snow and ice removal service by next winter. Reset talks to advocates from Access Living and Better Streets Chicago about their push to protect vulnerable residents from slippery black ice.

Host: Natalie Moore

Producers: Nereida Moreno

Fulton Market has everything: Michelin-starred restaurants, chic cafes, boutique hotels and tech firms like Google. But it hasn’t always been this way. So, has Fulton Market’s transformation from gritty to glittery been for better or worse? Reset talks to a reporter and a former planning commissioner about the changes downtown.

Host: Natalie Moore

Producers: Meha Ahmad and Isabelle Earl

Omicron may have reached its peak, but protests over vaccine and mask mandates seem to be on the rise. Suburbs from north suburban Highland Park to Naperville are grappling with protests over COVID policies at restaurants and museums, and west suburban St. Charles has closed its public library indefinitely for in-person services after receiving threats over its mask mandate. Reset checks in with a local elected official and a business owner from Highland Park on navigating the protests.

Host: Natalie Moore

Producers: Andrea Guthmann

Eco and the Flamingo is billed as the Chicago area’s first Zero Waste general store. Reset meets the co-owners. They believe sustainability is a profitable business model.

Host: Natalie Moore

Producers: Steve Bynum

Puppets run the range from tiny sock puppets, to larger than life puppets made from multiple materials that require several people to operate them; they tickle the imagination and delve into the otherworldly. Reset checks in with an artist from, and founder of, the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival, to hear more about puppetry and the festival.

Host: Sasha-Ann Simons

Producers: Lynnea Domienik